Shooting Industry May 2013 - Page 28

Arms Arms and the woman The Secret To Success? Education & Training ot many firearm businesses can boast that their gun training courses are sold out three months in advance, but that’s the case at Ultimate Defense Firing Range and Shooting Center in St. Peters, Mo. Owner/director Paul Bastean attributes the popularity of Ultimate Defense’s classes to topquality instructors and the state-of-the-art range facility. Ultimate Defense features three shooting bays with 18 lanes configured for rifles and handguns. It is also the home of the only Simunitions-based training facility in Missouri. In addition, there is a full retail operation where customers can rent or buy firearms and accessories. “Training is what brings people to our range,” Bastean said. This focus on training has proven to be a successful business model. “You make 10 to 15 points on the retail center, but you make 80 points on training,” Bastean said. Course offerings at Ultimate Defense run the gamut from gun maintenance and concealed carry to women’s personal defense and Eddie Eagle programs. Ultimate Defense has the largest NSSF First Shots program in the nation, and as follow-up, offers an NSSF Second Shots course that teaches customers how to choose the right centerfire gun for purchase. All of the classes are tremendously popular, Bastean notes. Lisa Parsons-Wraith N Gun training courses are sold out three months in advance at Ultimate Defense Firing Range and Shooting Center in St. Peters, Mo. “We offer a CCW course every Saturday and Sunday,” he said. “I had to add Thursday and Friday classes, and we are still sold out for three months.” Fulfilling Women’s Training Needs ltimate Defense’s Ladies Night Guided Experience is the second most popular course offered, coming in just behind the regular CCW courses. The course is designed for women with limited or no experience with firearms, and Bastean estimates he has trained thousands of women in the last two years. Women now make up 35 to 40 percent of Ultimate Defense’s customer base, and they are primarily interested in personal defense. Having a separate basic firearm course for women is important, Bastean says. “Women have different concerns than men,” he said. “They want to make sure their gun won’t be used against them, and they want to make sure kids can’t access it.” U After taking a course at Ultimate Defense, women gravitate to the Walther PK380, which is lightweight and features a small grip and an easy-to-operate slide. 28 MAY 2013 He also noted that when women attend a course with a man, the man tends to try to become a second instructor, a dynamic that doesn’t work well. Ultimate Defense’s course guides women through handgun safety, finding the right gun and the basics of shooting a handgun. Women start with .22s to get accustomed to the feel of shooting, and then may explore other calibers. The Women’s Self-Defense course is a non-gun course that teaches women unarmed personal-defense tactics, including strikes, ways to escape, the proper way to deploy pepper spray and a Taser demonstration. Bastean admits he hasn’t had to do any marketing to fill his women’s classes. “It’s 100-percent word of mouth. It’s amazing how, if a woman finds a good product and customer service, she will truly make an effort to support that business,” Bastean said. Bastean has been able to create a buzz by hiring top-notch instructors who make the courses fun and entertaining. “We use humor to set people at ease, in addition to real-life experience,” he said. “Our instructors have the ability to connect with people. They leave with the feeling that the instructor is a friend.” Personal defense is the motivation for attending a course, but Bastean said the camaraderie created by attending a class leads people to discover the fun of the shooting sports. “Our industry is no different than bowling, darts or golf,” he said. “We do these sports because it’s fun. It’s a skill game, but we (shooters) have a practical purpose. Shooters are doing what they enjoy, but they can actually save a life.” Subscribe to SI DIGITAL www.shootingindustry.com